The consumer journey has become more varied and convoluted, with many purchasing paths available today. Bradley Hearn, product marketing manager at ChannelAdvisor, explains what the journey looks like now and the best practices for marketers to reach consumers.
The way consumers shop today is vastly different than it was 50 years ago. And with the current pace of technological change, shopping looks different than it did just yesterday.Â
Innovations in online shopping will continue to disrupt the marketplace and present challenges to brands and retailers. One such challenge is how online shopping has shifted the modern consumer journey. But there are ways to attract new customers and build loyalty with existing customers, even in such a rapidly evolving marketplace.Â
What the Modern Consumer Journey Looks Like
Despite the ever-evolving shopping landscape, the consumer journey — the steps consumers take on their way to purchase — remains relatively linear. Consumers become aware of a product, then they consider buying the product, and finally, they decide to buy the product. What has changed is what consumers do along that journey.Â
The convenience of online shopping and the many digital touchpoints available have given shoppers more power and options than ever before. Consumers can learn about a product and immediately conduct their own research to decide whether to purchase that product. Then they can decide where they want to buy that product.Â
Think about when you want to buy a new pair of shoes online:Â
- Do you automatically know where to buy them or use search engines or online marketplaces to find what you are looking for?Â
- Once you find the shoes, does your search end, or do you look for customer reviews before making a final decision? You may even travel to social media, like Instagram and YouTube, to see what people say about the shoes or how the shoes look while on.Â
- After you have decided on the shoes, do you rush to check out, or do you peruse different sites to find a comfortable price point?Â
- How long does that process take you? Minutes? Weeks?Â
The process you take to buy shoes is complex and varied, but you control it from start to finish. And this control is one of the reasons why 55.6% of consumers favor shopping online over in personOpens a new window , according to Raydiant.
This modern consumer journey has called on brands and retailers to adopt an operationally agile approach — the ability to modify and adapt operations and technology to a perpetually evolving business environment — to meet customers’ needs. If they do not, they risk leaving money on the table for their competitors who adapt.Â
Let us go through each stage of the consumer journey from the perspective of “consumer intent†and how brands and retailers need to approach each.Â
The Awareness Stage
Traditionally, the awareness stage — where potential customers first learn about a product — meant relying on methods such as TV and radio commercials or ads in the newspaper to gain visibility with consumers. Today, consumers become aware of products through browsing social media, watching videos and searching online.Â
Brands and retailers cannot afford not to be on these channels. Getting noticed by consumers means going where they are. This means developing a multichannel commerce strategy to target the right channels to be on, which could include building a better social media presence and investing in new promotional tactics and retail media campaigns on high-traffic retail sites.Â
The Consideration Stage
Once consumers are aware, they will begin considering their options and conduct their own research to learn more about the newly discovered product. This is where having clean, accurate and informative product data is essential.Â
Brands and retailers should ensure their websites contain enough information for consumers to build trust and make informed decisions. This means having thorough and highly descriptive product descriptions, clear fulfillment and return policies and high-resolution images. Sites should also have diverse product content, such as blogs, videos and webinars, to provide an enriching experience for consumers. Doing so can make them consider the brand and retailer with a robust and informative website over their competitor without one, even if the brand website is not transactional.Â
See More: How AI Can Help You Map the Buyer Journey in the COVID-19 Economy
The Motivation Stage
With potential customers considering a product, it is time to motivate them to take action. This stage involves appealing to consumers with differentiated factors, like competitive or discounted pricing and same-day delivery options, to stand out from competitors. Â
In addition to retargeting ads or emails, another way for brands and retailers to convince consumers to make a sale is with low-stock inventory notifications. If potential buyers know a product is almost sold out, they will feel the pressure to either make a decision or miss out.Â
The Conversion Stage
If all goes well in the preceding stages, consumers will come to the pivotal conversion stage, where they are ready to buy. At this point, there should be no barriers that could deter buyers from making the purchase and going with a competitor instead.Â
When consumers are ready to check out, the purchase process should be as seamless as possible. Brands and retailers can optimize the process by allowing consumers to buy as guests, providing several payment options and removing hidden fees or costs. With no barriers to buying, conversion can be successful and lead to.
See More: Trusting Your Own Data To Fuel the Personalized Digital Buying Journey
The Loyalty Stage
The loyalty stage is when one-time buyers become lifelong (or repeat) customers — the goal for every brand and retailer. But this requires brands and retailers to maintain the relationship to ensure customers keep coming back.
One method of doing this is through constant and clear communication. Customers do not want to be left in the dark, especially when it involves something they spent money on. This means sending email updates on shipping, being transparent about any issues that could impact delivery time and responding promptly to their feedback. Keeping them in the loop will let them know they are valued, inspiring their continued loyalty.Â
Online shopping has given consumers more options and power, which has forever shifted the consumer journey. While the stages of the buying journey are still the same, the options they are presented with along the way are almost infinite. Brands and retailers need to be conscious of those choices and ensure their consumers stay on the path toward conversion. The sooner brands and retailers meet consumers where they are, build trust with them and motivate them to act, the sooner they can convert them into customers.
With the evolving buyer’s journey, how are you reaching to customers and building loyalty in existing ones? Let us know on FacebookOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , and LinkedInOpens a new window .
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